Terms of Reference for
Coral Finance Convenings Consultant ("Consultant")
This document serves to provide an overview of the underlying project relevant to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) Strategic Plan, context on Goals of the mandate, as well as an estimated scope of work requested from the consultant. Final details of the mandate should be covered by the subsequent proposal submitted by the consultant.
Global Fund for Coral Reef
Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) is a global blended finance partnership designed to mobilize public, philanthropic, and private capital at scale for the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of coral reef ecosystems. Anchored in a dual structure combining a grant-based technical assistance facility and a private investment fund, GFCR addresses the systemic financing gap facing reef-positive enterprises and coastal economies--particularly in developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where reefs underpin livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience.
Building on its operational track record and growing investment pipeline, 2026 marks a strategic moment for GFCR to deepen engagement with governments, financial institutions, reef-dependent industries, and conservation partners through a series of Global Coral Reef convenings aligned with major international ocean and climate forums. These convenings will serve as platforms to (i) showcase investable, reef positive business models emerging from GFCR support; (ii) advance dialogue on policy, risk-sharing, and blended finance structures for coral reef economies; and (iii) catalyze additional capital commitments toward scalable solutions in sustainable fisheries, tourism, waste and wastewater management, and nature-based coastal protection.
Through its presence at these global moments in 2026, GFCR aims to reinforce its role as a bridge between conservation priorities and investment logic--demonstrating how structured technical assistance, concessional capital, and private investment can be integrated to deliver measurable ecological outcomes alongside durable economic returns, and to position coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure within the broader sustainable ocean economy.
Reporting Line
The consultant will report to the Strategic Engagement & Partnership Lead at GFCR for the duration of the assignment, as well as to their designated contact at Catalytic Finance Foundation for follow-up and reporting purposes.
Work Assignment
The tasks of the consultancy are:
- Delivery Plan for Finance Pillar Convenings: Develop delivery plan for priority finance pillar convenings, including workstreams, milestones, owners, dependencies, and decision points.
- GFCR Positioning & Solution Showcase Coordination: Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to inform GFCR positioning and elevate solution showcases, including alignment and engagement with GFCR convening agents and ecosystem of coral finance partners.
- Finance Pillar Stakeholder Intelligence & Briefings: Produce targeted stakeholder briefs and engagement packs to inform positioning, outreach, and participation in convenings.
- Outreach & Commitments Coordination: Prepare and manage outreach materials and engagement sequencing (invitations, follow-ups, proposals), and track participation, co-hosts, and commitment mobilisation.
- Engagement & Meeting Preparation: Develop concise convening and meeting packs (agendas, participant profiles, talking points, key messages, "asks," and pre-reads), including inputs for donor concept notes and resource mobilisation.
- Post-Convening Follow-Up: Deliver readouts and update all trackers (delivery plan, decisions
- log, pipeline), ensuring actions and commitments are followed through to closure.
Expected Deliverables
- Delivery plan for Finance Pillar Convenings
- Proof of GFCR Positioning and Coordination to be approved by
- Stakeholder Intelligence & Briefings
- Proof of outreach & Commitments Coordination
- Convening and Meeting Packs
- Regular readouts and update to trackers
Duration of Contract and Starting Date
The duration of the contract will run from August 2026 to November 2026 inclusive (4 months).
Location of Assignment
- Work can be home-based but in-person office work in Geneva is preferred.
Competencies and Qualifications
The consultant shall have the following competencies and qualifications:
- At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience in international coordination, stakeholder engagement, or programme delivery within multilateral, public-private, or international organization
- contexts.
- Demonstrated experience leading the coordination and delivery of international summits, high-level convenings, or comparable global engagement processes, with end-to-end responsibility for
- planning, sequencing, and follow-up.
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French/Arabic/Spanish is desirable. Knowledge of an additional United Nations official language is an asset.
- Proven ability to act as the central focal point within a team for a major global convening, ensuring coherence across workstreams, partners, and contributors, and serving as the primary coordination interface.
- Strong experience in global stakeholder engagement, including coordination with UN agencies, Member States, international organizations, and external partners.
- Sound technical understanding of biodiversity finance and related nature-positive investment agendas, with the ability to translate technical concepts into clear engagement materials and convening narratives.
- Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills, with demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities, consultants, and deadlines with a high degree of autonomy and professionalism.
How to Apply
For this opportunity, please complete the application form available at the link below and submit the required documents to oneocean@catalyticfinance.org no later than May 31st, 2026, COB. Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered.
Required documents: Curriculum Vitae & Cover Letter. Applications can be submitted by completing the
application form: LINK.
Please name your files as follows before uploading:
- CV: Coral_Finance_Convenings_Consultant_Firstname_Lastname_CV
- Cover Letter: Coral_Finance_Convenings_Consultant_Firstname_Lastname_CoverLetter
Example: Coral_Finance_Convenings_Consultant_ Jane_Doe_CV
Next steps: Interviews are expected to take place between May 25th and June 5th, 2026.
For any additional questions, please reach out to us at oneocean@catalyticfinance.org .